Sights and sounds from the Academy's Governors Ball

Every year, right after the Oscars show ends, winners, losers, presenters and select guests rush over to the Governors Ball at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel, which is adjacent to the Kodak Theatre. This year, I did too, and took plenty of notes about who/what I saw and heard!

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As I rode the escalator up a floor to the ballroom, I noticed that the gentleman in front of me was 1982 best actor-winner Sir Ben Kingsley ("Gandhi"), who was one of the five presenters of this evening's best actor Oscar to Sean Penn, and with whom I've spoken several times (with the cast of "Elegy" at the Gotham Awards in early December and then again later that month on the phone). We had a quick catch-up, but he was rather distressed at the moment that he was unable to locate "Lady Kingsley." I saw them together just a little later on, so it all worked out!

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At the top of the aforementioned escalator, I ran into best actress nominee Melissa Leo ("Frozen River"), with whom I've become friendly over the course of this awards season -- she was a big hit during a Q&A I moderated at Brandeis University in November, and we've repeatedly run into each other since, so I enjoyed the opportunity to give her a big hug. Despite the outcome of her category, she told me she had a great time.

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As I made my way into the ballroom, so too did David Kross and Stephen Daldry, the star and Oscar-nominated director of "The Reader." Daldry could be heard saying, "What a relief," presumably referring to the gruel of the awards season having finally come to an end -- but also quite possibly that Kate Winslet had won the best actress Oscar for her work in his film after Time magazine went out on a limb and prematurely labeled her "Best Actress" on its most recent cover!

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Meanwhile, comedy legend Jerry Lewis, the recipient of this evening's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, arrived in a wheelchair and was quickly rushed past the bed of photographers and into the crowded ballroom. At the door, he was helped out of his wheelchair and stood up on his own.

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Among those who paused to preen for the cameras and chat with "Extra," "Inside Edition" and "The Early Show" before heading inside were best supporting actress nominee Amy Adams ("Doubt"); best actor winner Sean Penn ("Milk") and wife Robin Wright Penn; and others. Meanwhile, Alan Arkin, who won the best supporting actor Oscar for "Little Miss Sunshine" in 2007, walked past them all and no one even seemed to recognize him -- what a difference two years makes!

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The entire "Slumdog Millionaire" family -- from Oscar-winning producer Christian Colson to Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle to stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto to the incredibly cute child actors who were flown in for the event from India -- graciously answered questions from the press and mingled with well-wishing guests. The kids were repeatedly prompted to sing a few lines of "Jai Ho" for the TV cameras, and happily obliged. At one point, Patel and Pinto were conducting an interview while Patel held Rubiana Ali, the sweet little Indian girl who plays the youngest version of Latika in the film, in his arms and bit into the Oscar-shaped dessert she was trying to feed him.

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The seating assignments for the event -- which I believe was organized at least in part by East Coast event planner/publicity legend Peggy Siegal -- not surprisingly paired together people who worked together on nominated films. Among the table groupings: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, director David Fincher, and supporting actress Taraji P. Henson (all nominees this evening); "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (a winner tonight), supporting actor Josh Brolin (a nominee tonight), Brolin's wife Diane Lane, and Brolin's co-star Emile Hirsch; "Frozen River" lead actress Melissa Leo (a nominee tonight) and supporting actress Misty Upham; "Frost/Nixon" producer Brian Grazer, director Ron Howard, and lead actor Frank Langella (all nominees this evening); "The Reader" director Stephen Daldry (a nominee this evening) and lead actor David Kross; and, of course, the happiest table, "Slumdog Millionaire" stars Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan and all the child actors, who were each playing with various winners' Oscars -- the film certainly won enough to keep them all amused!

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Sandwiched between her parents, best actress nominee Anne Hathaway -- the sole nominee for "Rachel Getting Married" -- was happily chatting away with the other guests at her table. She even took the time to thank The Envelope for its coverage of her this awards season.

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For those interested, the official menu for the evening -- for which Wolfgang Puck served as chef -- featured the following:

Tray-passed

• Mini Kobe Burgers with Aged Cheddar and Remoulade
• Spicy Tuna Tartare in a Sesame Miso Cone
• Wasabi Pea-Crusted Crabcake with Mango and Thai Basil
• Smoked Salmon Pizza with Caviar and Dill Creme
• Black Truffle and Ricotta Cheese Pizza Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce
• Chicken Potstickers with Ginger Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Sushi and Seafood Stations

• Rolls: Tuna, Vegetable, California and Unagi
• Nigiri: Shrimp, Tuna, Hamachi and Salmon
• Sashimi: Tuna, Salmon, Snapper and Hamachi (with Soy, Wasabi and Pickled Ginger)

Seafood

• Poached Shrimp, Lobster Tails, Crag Legs, Oysters and Mussels (with Mustard Sauce, Cocktail Sauce and Wasabi Apple Mignonette)

First Course

• Asian Vegetable Salad with Maine Lobster, Caviar and Ginger White Soy Vinaigrette
• Pumpkin Coconut Soup with Chicken, Shrimp, Shitake Mushrooms and Green Onions

Entree

• Slow-Braised, Asian-Spiced Short Rib with Spring Vegetable Risotto

Vegetarian

• Spring Vegetable Risotto with Black Winter Truffles

Dessert

• Chocolate Bento Box Surprise

Champagne

• Moet & Chandon is the exclusive champagne of the 81st Academy Awards

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Teen idols Robert Pattinson ("Twilight") and Zac Efron ("High School Musical") asked Ron Howard, who was nominated tonight for directing "Frost/Nixon," to pose for a photo with them. As soon as they finished, some young ladies asked them for one too -- and they couldn't have been more gracious.

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Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, walked by me at one point. While I wasn't surprised that he was invited to the event, I was a little surprised that he attended because he is vilified in "The Garden," which was nominated for the best documentary Oscar this evening. No word yet on whether or not he ran into the filmmakers -- but that would have been awkward, to say the least.

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Acting legend Eva Marie Saint, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for "On the Waterfront" in 1954 and was one of the five presenters who presented it to Penelope Cruz this evening, was seen catching up with Alan Arkin, her co-star from the 1966 film "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming." They were later joined by another of this year's best supporting actress nominees, Viola Davis ("Doubt"), and her husband.

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At one point, I spotted Madhur Mittal, the Indian actor who played the oldest version of the mean-spirited older brother Salim in "Slumdog Millionaire," sitting alone at his table, so I went over to congratulate him on the film's best picture victory and ask him what he would be up to next. He told me he's made other movies in India, but "Slumdog" was his first "international" film, and as a result of it he's had lots of offers to make other films in America but had not committed to any yet because he wants to "try not to do crap." He began telling me that he's still living in India but is looking to buy property in California when he gasped, "Oh, my God! Is that Adrien Brody?!" I told him it was, that Brody is a nice guy, and he should go over and say hi. I watched him rush over, tap Brody on the shoulder, and before he could say anything Brody turned around, took a second to process who he was, and then lit up and said, "Oh, hey! You're a great actor!" Nice moment.

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Meanwhile, Danny Boyle, tonight's Oscar-winning director for "Slumdog Millionaire," posed for photos outside the ballroom with Rubiana Ali, the sweet little Indian girl who plays the youngest version of Latika in the film, and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, the precocious little Indian boy who plays the youngest version of mean-spirited Salim in the film. Boyle plopped his Oscar on Ismail's head in one picture, prompting giggles from Ali. Then, Boyle let Ismail hold the statuette, and the wide-eyed boy peered up at him and said with his heavy accent, "Danny! This is so big! This is very heavy!" Then, when Ali tried to get him to let her hold it for a moment too, he went into character and pushed her away. Moments later, Ismail was holding his Oscar-shaped dessert, but didn't realize it was made of chocolate until he looked at his hands and saw it had melted all over them. I grabbed him a napkin from a waitress, he wiped them off, and he then returned to playing his handheld video game.

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Several of the other "Slumdog Millionaire" child actors -- Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar (middle Latika), Tanay Chheda (middle Jamal), and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (young Jamal) -- were milling about with their caretaker and looked a bit bored, so I went over to shake each of their hands, congratulated them on the film and its success and asked them what their favorite part of their trip to the Oscars was. They all shouted at the same time so I don't know who said what, but I know the three answers were: "Winning the Oscar!" "Going on stage!" and "Being on the top of the world!" It doesn't get cuter.

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Christian Colson, who as the producer of "Slumdog Millionaire," will retain its best picture Oscar, was also joking around with the kids and was nice enough to thank me, as one of the people who saw and instantly identified the film as a likely Oscar winner when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September, "for kicking us off!"

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Queen Latifah ran into a bunch of old friends (they called her Dana) who told her what a magnificent job she did singing over the "In Memoriam" montage. She told them, "I was leaning on this leg here because this leg [the other one] was shaking so much!"

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Seen in passing: outgoing Academy President Sid Ganis with Oscars show producer Bill Condon, who seemed to be in good spirits; former Academy President Frank Pierson dining at his table; 1991 best actor winner Sir Anthony Hopkins ("The Silence of the Lambs"), who was one of the five presenters of this evening's best actor Oscar to Sean Penn, chatting at his table; singer Seal and supermodel Heidi Klum, neither of whom has much to do with movies but both of whom were very pleasantly chatting away with the non-celebrities seated at their table (her dress slit was cut high -- and I mean high -- not that I'm complaining); Miramax studio chief Daniel Battsek, who last year ruled Oscars night (between "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), but who this year went home empty-handed (between "Doubt" and "Happy-Go-Lucky"); The Weinstein Co. studio co-chief Harvey Weinstein, who has ruled numerous Oscars nights past and who this year delivered Oscars for both of his nominated ladies, best actress Kate Winslet ("The Reader") and best supporting actress Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"); Tilda Swinton, who won last year's best supporting actress Oscar (for "Michael Clayton") and was one of five presenters of this year's to Penelope Cruz, sitting with her much younger beau at an otherwise abandoned table; and Marion Cotillard, who won last year's best actress Oscar (for "La Vie En Rose") and was one of five presenters of this year's to Kate Winslet, being pulled hand-in-hand by her date past admirers, who had to be careful not to step on the long trail of her stunning dress.

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The new-look Oscars show and host Hugh Jackman seemed to be getting rave reviews across the room. One non-celeb was overheard telling her friends she thought it was "the best Oscars in years," while certifiable-celeb Josh Brolin told me, "I had a good time -- it was a good show."

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1972 best supporting actor winner Joel Grey ("Cabaret"), who was one of the five presenters of this evening's best supporting actor Oscar to Heath Ledger, spent much of the night on the dance floor with a woman who was presumably his wife.

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I briefly chatted with the legendary documentarian Werner Herzog about the film for which he was nominated this evening, "Encounters at the End of the World," because I had been fortunate enough to attend its first sneak-screening way back in October 2007 at Brandeis University.

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I was really thrilled to run into not only Melissa Leo and Werner Herzog, but also two of the other nominees who visited Brandeis University to do Q&As with me in recent months. Best actor nominee Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"), accompanied by his wife and son, stopped by way back in November, and seemed pleased to finally be done with the tiring awards circuit. And best supporting actor nominee Michael Shannon, accompanied by his wife, was in town just two weeks ago, and said he had a fun time tonight. When the two of them ran into each other, Shannon informed his wife that he and Jenkins share the same publicist (first-rate Bryna Rifkin of ID-PR) and had seen each other repeatedly throughout this awards season, throughout which Jenkins had been "watching out for my ass," right down to stuff like "Stand up straight!," he joked.

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1978 best supporting actor winner Christopher Walken ("The Deer Hunter"), who was one of the five presenters of this evening's best supporting actor Oscar to Heath Ledger, was leaving the ballroom just as tonight's best actor winner Sean Penn ("Milk") was arriving at it, and the two -- who played a father and son in the film "At Close Range" (1986) 23 years ago -- shared a big hug.

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On my way out of the party, I spotted the same Japanese gentleman with whom I shared an elevator early Sunday morning when -- wearing torn jeans a T-shirt, and flip-flops en route to picking up a new tuxedo shirt to replace the one my hotel lost -- I asked him if he was going to the Oscars and learned he was a nominee for the Japanese film "Departures." Dressed a little more snazzily, it took him a moment to remember me, but he did and I was pleased to have the chance to congratulate him -- it brought the long day and night to a fitting close!

Comments

[kriegs]

Just want you to know how much my friends and I enjoyed your live blogging last night.
Also, without exception our diverse group, male and female, LOVED the format for showcasing the stars - and Hugh Jackman outdid himself as a multi-talented host.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL INTERVIEWS/COVERAGE.

[DKF]

Ahhh, I love all the coverage of the Slumdog Crew!! And so cute how you handed the napkin to Ismail. Adorable.

[stevesmith]

Innovation means something new and fresh. Rehashing the same techniques from 10, 20, 50 years ago is anything but fresh. This looked like a Vincente Minnelli production, very dated. Hugh Jackman has a very limited vocal range and Beyoncé had to fall back on lip synching several times. Why can’t they do this in a dignified manner? The academy should be embarrassed by this inane demonstration.

[Dennis Crane]

Christopher Walken and Sean Penn appeared in the 1986 movie "At Close Range" not "Open Range".

[Mark Haviland]

Scott; Great, great blog, about the post-Oscar ceremonies with comments more insightful than most. One suggested correction: Sean Penn and Christopher Walken starred together in a film called "At Close Range" not Open Range. It's a favorite. Mark (in NJ)

[Scott Feinberg]

Dennis and Mark, thanks for catching "Close" vs. "Open" Range... it's been corrected.

[banajit boro]

at the 81st annual academy awards two great totaly different cultures collided and we can expect a beautiful cross cultural thing coming out which will be irrestible to the world

[lavish1]

One of the few articles I have read about the Oscars which held my interest. Insightful, informative and enjoyable. Hugh Jackman was a great host for the show. Much better than the comedic format which had grown flat.